The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the largest public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States, serving over 565,000 students during the 2022–23 school year—second only to New York City. Formed in 1961 from the merger of the Los Angeles City School District (est. 1870) and the Los Angeles City High School District (est. 1890), LAUSD operates its own police force (established 1948) and is the second-largest employer in Los Angeles County, with a budget of $12.6 billion for the 2022–23 school year. The district has faced significant historical challenges, including overcrowded schools and a dropout rate of 26% in 2007, though by 2013 it showed marked improvement in both graduation and dropout metrics. Early desegregation efforts were shaped by the landmark 1961 Jackson vs. Pasadena School District case, a precursor to later civil rights litigation. Today, LAUSD has completed an ambitious construction program—rivaling the Big Dig in expenditures—opening several new high schools, including Santee Education Complex and South East in 2005, and four more in 2006, to alleviate crowding and modernize its facilities.